First Harvest

Less than six months after Boeing and South African Airways (SAA) announced their plans to turn “energy tobacco” into sustainable aviation biofuel, farmers in South Africa’s Limpopo province are harvesting their first crop of a nicotine-free, energy-rich tobacco plant.

15 countries, five space agencies, one station

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest, most complex international scientific and engineering space project in history and the world’s largest endeavor into space to date. Boeing supports a variety of capability enhancements that will enable use of the ISS through 2024 and beyond, including a new communications system for visiting spacecraft, a new NASA docking system, and lithium-ion batteries for the solar arrays. In addition, Boeing supports processing of the laboratory experiment racks to facilitate experiments.

The Nations of the International Space Station

NASA selected Boeing as prime contractor for the International Space Station on Aug. 17, 1993, and the original cost-plus-award-fee contract began on Jan. 13, 1995. Boeing is responsible for maintaining the station at peak performance levels so the full value of the unique research laboratory is available to NASA, its international partners, other U.S. government agencies and private companies.

Belgium

Canada

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

Netherlands

Norway

Russia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

United States

Quick Facts

The websites below provide more facts about the International Space Station: